Imagine being lost in a busy city like Shanghai. Now, imagine being lost in a busy city like Shanghai without knowing how to ask for directions in Chinese. What a nightmare, right? Getting lost in Shanghai might not be ideal but preparing for it can significantly improve your Chinese skills and vocabulary!
Places, Sites and Locations in Chinese:
Knowing how to talk about locations and directions in Chinese isn’t very useful without knowing how to say the place you want to go to!
银行 (yín háng) — the bank
医院 (yī yuàn) — the hospital
火车站 (huǒ chē zhàn) — train station
地铁站 (dì tiě zhàn) — subway station
超市 (chāo shì) — grocery store or supermarket
商场 (shāng chǎng) — shopping mall
博物馆 (bó wù guǎn) — museum
图书馆 (tú shū guǎn) — the library
餐厅 (cān tīng) — a casual restaurant
饭店 (fàn diàn) — a more expensive restaurant; hotel
吧 (bā) — bar
公园 (gōng yuán) — park
机场 (jī chǎng) — airport
电影院 (diàn yǐng yuàn) — movie theater
Vocabulary for Asking Directions in Chinese:
指路/问路 (zhǐ lù/wèn lù) — to give/ask for directions
If you need some guidance, knowing how to ask for it will make receiving it a whole lot easier.
请问你能帮我指路吗? (Qǐng wèn nǐ néng bāng wǒ zhǐ lù ma?) — Excuse me, can you give me directions?
不好意思，你需要问路吗? (Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ xūyào wèn lù ma?) — I’m sorry (excuse me), do you need directions?
迷路 (mí lù) — to get lost
迷路 can mean “to lose one’s way,” “to get lost” or even “to go astray,” so it’s a useful word to know and one you’ll likely hear in Chinese songs!
It’s important to note here that when putting the particle 了 (le) in the sentence to represent a change in the situation or completed action, it can go either in between 迷 (mí) and 路 (lù) or after 迷路.
For example:
天太黑，我迷了路。(Tiān tài hēi, wǒ mí le lù.) — It’s too dark, I got lost.
这名士兵在森林里迷路了。(Zhè míng shì bīng zài sēn lín lǐ mí lù le.) — The soldier lost his way in a forest.
Location, Placement and Directions in Chinese:
前面/前边 (qián miàn/qián biān) — in front of
In Chinese, when describing the location of a person, place or object, we follow the structure: person, place or object + location.
For example:
在食堂的前面 (Zài shí táng de qián miàn) — In front of the cafeteria
电视在桌子的前边。 (Diàn shì zài zhuō zi de qián biān.) — The TV is in front of the table.
后面/后边 (hòu miàn/hòu biān) — behind
超市在电影院的后面。(Chāo shì zài diàn yǐng yuàn de hòu miàn.) — The supermarket is behind the movie theater.
我坐在李娜后面。(Wǒ zuò zài lǐ nà hòu miàn.) — I sit behind Lina.
外面/外边 (wài miàn/wài biān) — outside
我妈妈在机场外面。(Wǒ mā ma zài jī chǎng wài miàn.) — My mom is outside the airport.
你可以在我家外边等我吗? (Nǐ kě yǐ zài wǒ jiā wài biān děng wǒ ma?) — Can you wait outside my house?
里面/里边 (lǐ miàn/lǐ biān) — inside
我喜欢在家里面看电影。(Wǒ xǐ huān zài jiā lǐ miàn kàn diàn yǐng.) — I like to watch movies inside.
他还在博物馆里边。(Tā hái zài bó wù guǎn lǐ biān.) — He’s still in the museum.
右边 (yòu biān) — to the right of
医院在公园右边。(Yī yuàn zài gōng yuán yòu biān.) — The hospital is to the right of the park.
桌子在我的右边。(Zhuō zi zài wǒ de yòu biān.) — The table is on my right side.
左边 (zuǒ biān) — to the left of
火车站在银行左边。(Huǒ chē zhàn zài yín háng zuǒ biān.) — The train station is to the left of the bank.
银行在右边还是左边? (Yín háng zài yòu biān hái shì zuǒ biān?) — Is the bank to the right or the left?
一直 (yī zhí) — straight
一直往前走。(Yī zhí wǎng qián zǒu.) — Keep going straight.
一直走。(Yī zhí zǒu.) — Go straight.
旁边 (páng biān) — next to
商场在超市旁边。(Shāng chǎng zài chāo shì páng biān.) — The shopping mall is next to the supermarket.
我的公司在学校旁边。(Wǒ de gōng sī zài xué xiào páng biān.) — My office is next to a school.
Asking Directions in Chinese:
。。。在哪里? (…zài nǎ lǐ?) — Where is…?
洗手间在哪里?/洗手间在哪儿? (Xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ?/Xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ er?) — Where’s the restroom?
我在哪里?/我在哪儿? (Wǒ zài nǎ lǐ?/Wǒ zài nǎ er?) — Where am I?
从A到B要多长时间? (Cóng A dào B yào duō cháng shí jiān?) — How long does it take to get from A to B?
请问, 从这里到火车站要多长时间? (Qǐng wèn, cóng zhè lǐ dào huǒ chē zhàn yào duō cháng shí jiān?) — Excuse me, how long does it take to get to the train station from here?
从你的家到学校要多久? (Cóng nǐ de jiā dào xué xiào yào duō jiǔ?) — How long does it take to get from your house to school?
去。。。怎么走? (Qù…zěn me zǒu?) — How do I get to…?
请问，去北京怎么走? (Qǐng wèn, qù běi jīng zěn me zǒu?) — Excuse me, how do I get to Beijing?
去你家怎么走? (Qù nǐ jiā zěn me zǒu?) — How do I get to your house?
Post time: Jul-17-2020